I got my ears pierced a lot later than some kids. I desperately wanted them done, but my mom said no — she hadn’t been allowed until she was 17. Then, when I was 11, I opened my Christmas stocking to see the most exciting gift I had received in my young life: a set of colorful earrings. I remember asking my mom, almost in tears, if it was OK for me to pierce my ears. “If Santa says it’s OK, I guess it’s fine, ” she answered. A few days later, we went to the mall to get it done.
. I put up with it for a few days before asking my mom if it was normal for them to be so sore. She took a look, and my lobes were angry red and oozing. My brand new earrings had to be taken out so the infection could heal. After a few months (and a lot of begging), we went back to the same store to have them pierced again. Again, they became infected, only this time, so badly I had to go to the doctor for antibiotics. I gave up on having pierced ears.
Fast forward to college, where I was friends with a tattoo artist, who talked me into coming into the shop where he worked and having my ears pierced by a professional with a needle. I was wary, but I gave it a shot. Now, I have 13 different piercings in my ears. All of them were done in tattoo shops. None of them got infected. When I was a kid getting my first piercings, my mom wouldn’t have let me set foot in a tattoo shop. I wish she had.
Ear Piercings We Stan (you Will Too!)
Brian Keith Thompson, owner and chief piercing officer at West Hollywood’s Body Electric Tattoo, is part of a growing movement of piercers advocating for parents to take their kids to tattoo shops instead of the mall for piercings.
“I don’t prefer (the mall) because I had it done with my first piercing, and it didn’t go well for me, ” he told Pop Sugar. “They got infected because I have sensitive skin.”
Thompson, whose Instagram is filled with adorable photos of the piercings he does for kids, also explained that piercing guns make for a more painful piercing, since they don’t use needles, and are dangerous because they can’t be properly sterilized.
Underage Body Piercing Requirements
, not pierces it, ” he said. “The needle is made to pierce the skin. It heals faster. You can sterilize it.” Piercing guns, on the other hand, can’t be sterilized because the plastic would melt under the heat required to properly sterilize a tool. “You can sanitize it, wipe it down with MadaCide, but you can’t sterilize it. It’s made out of plastic. To properly sanitize something, you need heat and steam.”
According to the Association of Professional Piercers, piercing with a needle is much safer than the guns used in many jewelry stores and mall kiosks. It echoes the sterilization concerns that Thompson shared.
“It is the position of the Association of Professional Piercers that only sterile disposable equipment is suitable for body piercing, and that only materials which are certified as safe for internal implant should be placed in inside a fresh or unhealed piercing, ” the Association’s website states. “We consider unsafe any procedure that places vulnerable tissue in contact with either non-sterile equipment or jewelry that is not considered medically safe for long-term internal wear. Such procedures place the health of recipients at an unacceptable risk. For this reason, APP members may not use reusable ear piercing guns for any type of piercing procedure.”
Where To Get Kids Ears Pierced In Seattle
Thompson isn’t the only piercer who takes that standard seriously. Sarah LaRoe, a mom and professional piercer with several facial piercings of her own, told Time magazine that she supports petitions to ban piercing guns altogether.
“There is a stigma attached to tattoo parlors that they’re dirty and will be bombarded by foul-mouthed people, ” LaRoe added. In reality, though, tattoo parlors in many states face far stricter regulations for cleanliness than any store at the mall.
Thompson, who has pierced ears for clients as young as three weeks, did empathize that not every piercer wants to work with kids, so doing some research and calling ahead is important.
A Tattoo Shop Is The Best (and Coolest) Place To Pierce Your Kid's Ears
“Go to Yelp, read reviews, and check websites out. If they have positive reviews, then call, ” he said. “Not all places will do it. Some states have different regulations. It’s not bad that they don’t want to do it, but some people don’t want to work with kids. So call and ask.”
Let them eat cakeThe Internet Is Divided Over This “Genius” Cake Hack That Minimizes CrumbsI Was Today Years Old...PSA: You’ve Probably Been Using Your Potato Peeler Wrong All AlongFor many of us, getting your ears pierced is a rite of passage. And until my second daughter was old enough to want to do it, I had thought only of the mall gun-piercing option. It wasn’t until I saw an article online listing some reasons why you might want to take your kids to a reputable tattoo shop to get this major life event done, that I considered it an option. So, when my youngest daughter asked to get her ears pierced, I knew I would explore a local tattoo parlor this time around.
You must choose a reputable tattoo shop. Studio City Tattoo in Studio City, California immediately came to mind, as I have had many friends get tattoos there. I called to find out if they do kids’ ears piercing. They do! As a matter of fact, they have regular weekday times from 11am-3pm, set aside for kids’ ear piercings. I do think it’s recommended that you make an appointment, but we just walked in and only had to wait about a half an hour. Be aware, there are many shops out there that do not allow children in the facility.
Tattoo Shops Will Pierce Your Newborn's Ears
View this post on Instagram She did it! I told her whenever she was ready, I’d let her get them pierced. Today…was that day! . . Don’t let the photo fool you. She didn’t flinch. (She was actually making a face at her brother watching her). What an amazing experience we had today. Thank you Steve! . . . We went to @studiocitytattoo . They pierce kids ears weekdays from 11-3pm. And they are immaculate, professional, amazing with kids and I couldn’t recommend them more! . . #bodypiercing #earpiercing #kidsearpiercing #StudioCity A post shared by Jessica Cribbs | Burbank Mom (@) on Aug 9, 2019 at 4:36pm PDT Why A Tattoo Shop For A Kids’ Piercing?
According to the Association of Professional Piercers, ” A number of states have made it illegal to use a piercing gun for any piercings besides the ear lobe – and with good reason. Most ear piercing guns can’t be sterilized, and anyone being pierced by them is at risk. A reputable professional won’t use a gun for any piercing – even for ear lobes.”
Here’s what our experience has been. Awesome! Steve, as seen above in the photo, was the best. He was kind and patient with my daughter and made it so easy and painless, as you can see in the video above. We are 4 weeks out and we haven’t hand one single goopy or crusty ear. Not a single one. I completely expected it, but it just didn’t happen.
What Do Different Ear Piercings Mean?
Here’s another amazing thing we learned from this experience. We learned that you should never clean a new piercing with hydrogen peroxide and the solution that you’re normally given from the mall places. What what?! We were told that you should use a warm non-iodized salt and warm water solution and/or a warm wash with antibacterial soap, in the shower. And after our easy peasy 4 weeks, I’m a believer! We used these with warm water and salt to clean. Being able to squeeze the water to clean, makes it easy and effective.
I couldn’t recommend it more! Don’t be afraid to take your child for their next ear piercing to the professionals! I mean it, why wouldn’t I take my kid to someone who is professionally trained and does it for a living!
Jessica Cribbs is a mom to three and wife to a great man who supports all of her crazy ideas. She created in 2005 because she just loved being a mother in Burbank and wanted a resource for families. Jessica, originally from a small farm town in Michigan, has lived in Burbank for 14 years. She is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University.I hadn’t thought about it much, but I just assumed that pretty much every little girl got her ears pierced by some teenager working at Claire’sin the mall. And I guess you could do that, but … why?
Ready For Your Next Ear Piercing?
It sounds like a recipe for disaster. Infection, at least. I mean, I’m sure those super-responsible teens making minimum wage and excellent life choices totally give two craps about the job they do. It’s not like their parents still need to remind them to wash their
0 comments
Post a Comment